I. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to the field of educational software. More particularly, the invention relates to computerized systems and methods for integrating educational software associated with one or more source systems, as well as synchronizing education data and migrating education data and materials between systems.
II. Background Information
Electronic learning (or e-learning) typically refers to facilitating and enhancing learning through the use of computers. Electronic learning can include a variety of activities, such as video conferencing and/or web casting of course instruction, online storage of course materials, online storage of student portfolios, online-based course and/or testing materials, discussion boards, e-mail, blogs, and text chat. In recent years, electronic learning has grown rapidly as educational institutions have used it to supplement classroom education. For example, a traditional course may have an online or electronic counterpart in which students may access course materials, interact with other classmates, and submit questions to a teacher, all via computerized systems. Furthermore, educational institutions offer courses that are only available through electronic learning. These courses exist solely in an electronic realm where students attend and complete a course via a computer of their choosing.
To attend an electronic learning course, a student is typically provided with credentials (e.g., a username and password) for accessing a computerized system, such as a website. Once authenticated, the student is able to, for example, view a webcast of a course. During or after the webcast, the student may access course materials or participate in further online activities (e.g., discussion boards, e-mail, blogs, and text chat). Furthermore, administrator users may access the system in order to create and/or modify course enrollments, for example. Teacher users may also access the system in order to, for example, create and/or modify course materials and update grades. An example of a system that provides education online, including the ability of users to have multiple roles in multiple courses, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,138 B1, issued Jan. 17, 2006, entitled “Internet-Based Education Support System and Methods,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Students may also be enrolled in multiple electronic learning courses. In order to access those courses, the student may need to navigate using, for example, a web browser, to other websites. For example, the student may need to navigate to a website that only provides access to one course. The student may need to navigate to other websites to access other courses. Each website may require the student to submit a different set of credentials for authentication. Furthermore, each website may separately store course materials and provide access to online activities, which may be specific to the courses accessed from each website. These websites typically do not communicate or share information and, consequently, are unable to determine that a student is enrolled in other courses.
Systems also present significant drawbacks for other users, such as administrators and teachers. For example, administrators often must access separate systems and learn separate methods for setting up and managing courses and users. For example, an administrator's responsibilities may include updating course enrollments for courses that are provided by different systems. Consequently, the administrator may need to access each system and use functionality that is specific to each system to make the changes. Similarly, teachers may need to access separate systems and learn separate methods to create, modify, and manage course materials and grades.
Also, a legacy source system which delivers education data and materials relied upon by an educational institution typically represents a significant investment in resources expended in establishing the source system infrastructure. For example, typically a great deal of effort is required to establish a feed of student information system data, such as user, course name, course availability, and enrollment data, into a legacy source system. Once such a feed is established, there is generally reluctance to reinvest in a different feed conforming to the needs of a new system. Often, the student information system (SIS) data is tightly coupled to the legacy source system, requiring not only educational materials, but also SIS data, to be transferred over to a replacement system. Accordingly, an institution often is “locked in” to the legacy source system, presenting a hurdle for moving to a newer system, particularly where an institution may simply be interested in conducting a limited evaluation of the newer system in advance of a full migration to the newer system.
As is evident from the foregoing discussion, as electronic learning grows, users, including students, teachers, and administrators, frequently must access a variety of systems, maintain multiple sets of credentials, and navigate to separate websites for each course. With such configurations, students do not receive an electronic learning experience in which they are part of a community. Accordingly, disparate electronic learning systems do not provide students with a unified, central electronic learning experience. Furthermore, such configurations present drawbacks to teachers and administrators because they are unable to access one system to perform their tasks. Accordingly, a unified, central electronic learning experience would also benefit teachers and administrators by providing access to all courses and materials from a central aggregating site. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for integrating disparate educational software systems.